Blood Clot Filters: They're Not As Great As You May Think

If you or a loved one was suffering from the risk of acute deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, you may have had an inferior vena cava filter inserted in order to prevent a blood clot from forming. This is because if a blood clot did occur, then it would reduce and potentially completely block blood flow to your lungs. Therefore, this blood clot filter could have saved your life or you loved one's life. Even so, it doesn't meant that there aren't risks associated with these IVC blood clot filters. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has documented countless adverse events that have occurred as a result of the insertion of one of these filters. If you or a loved one suffered negative side effects, do you have a claim against the manufacturer?

The Effectiveness (or Lack) of Blood Clot Filters

The FDA warned consumers and health care professionals back in 2010 regarding the potential risk of long-term use of these blood clot filters. At that time, there were nearly 1,000 adverse incidents, including the breaking of the device, the device migrating, and perforation of the filter. The FDA also issued a recommendation that these filters be removed as soon as the protection was no longer necessary (the patient's health risk has subsided).

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2014 showed that anticoagulation with the use of an IVC filter did not reduce one's risk of a recurrent pulmonary embolism any more than when anticoagulation was used by itself. Therefore, data did not support the use of blood clot filters in patients who could benefit from the treatment of anticoagulation.

Lawsuits Already in Place Citing Medical Device Liability

There are a significant amount of lawsuits already in place against three of the most prominent manufacturers of IVC blood clot filters. In fact, in July 2015, at least 100 lawsuits have been filed against one of the manufacturers. Medical issues that are cited in these lawsuits include organ damage and additional surgical procedures in order to have broken pieces of the filter or the filter itself removed. With about 20,000 blood clot filters implanted into patient's each year, there are bound to be more lawsuits from victims soon.

Speak to a Lawyer

If you or a loved one has suffered negative side effects associated with a blood clot filter, it is crucial that you seek out a personal injury attorney. Schedule a consultation, discuss the facts of your case and allow the attorney to examine data to determine if you have a case. If you do, you and your attorney can discuss how to proceed.

Nice to meet you. I'm Darnel Peterson. I know it might sound strange, but I find something absolutely beautiful about the legal system. We all have our biases, but the law truly is blind. Maybe not perfectly blind, but much more blind and with much more justice than what the world would be if it was driven by a mob-mentality. I feel like our legal system has not been given the respect it deserves and this is often because of ignorance over how our legal system works. I decided the best way I could help solve this problem is to create my own blog focused on legal matters.